Glorious
by Angel Ren
Summary: Summary: Christmas fluff! The only Christmas passed in New Moon, but that's not conduicive to fluff. Edward and Bella play in the snow, but Bella gets cold. Can Edward find a way to warm her up? I'd bet so! Pure ExB Fluff! Oneshot.


Omc! Lookit that! I wrote something else! More fluff!

Summary: Yeah, yeah, so the only Christmas Bella spent in the series was smack in the middle of New Moon, but that doesn't make for very good fluff. Sooo... I made this up. Yay! Bella and Edward play in the snow. But Bella gets cold, so how can Edward warm her up? Well, that's the fluff.

_Glorious_

By Ren

I turned off my truck and stayed sitting in the cab. The cab was so cozy; the windows were even steaming up a little bit. Outside, the wind was light but snow fell in faint little flakes. The sky was cloudy, as usual. The ground was icy on the sidewalks and pavement where the snow had been scraped off. Elsewhere, eighteen inches of snow carpeted the ground. Only one thing in the world would make me choose to leap from the sanctuary of my truck and into the perilous, freezing cold outside.

Edward.

I kicked open the door and landed on my feet, only to have them shoot out from underneath me as my heels made contact with the driveway. I quickly grabbed onto the door and hung precariously. I heard laughter from the Cullens' house. The voice was clearly Emmett-esque.

Within a heartbeat, a pair of cold arms were wrapping around me gently. They didn't pull me to my feet; they pulled me into a loving embrace I would know anywhere and everywhere. I didn't need to see his face. I curled instinctively into Edward, clutching his chest for dear life.

I heard his unearthly chuckle in my hair, the strands moving as his cool breath caressed them. I bit back a smile. Tugging me up, he pressed his cold lips against mine. Instinctively, my arms wrapped around his neck, kissing him back.

It was a dance, really. A careful balance of give and take. Edward would keep his lips pressed together, my own would try and tempt them open, knowing full well both that he would never, and if he did, it would be bad news. Instead, I would compensate, pulling my body closer to his, as I did now. His arms would wrap around my body. From his stone-like lips, fire would spread through my body. About this time, I would loose my senses. My heart would race, my arms would do their own thing, pulling him closer still. And then, Edward would…

"Breathe, Bella," he whispered, pulling away from my wanting lips. I whimpered, squirming in his arms, trying to get closer to his lips. Unfortunately, he was still supporting my body after I slipped and so my legs were not beneath me. He chuckled again, his chest vibrating beneath my fingers. Deftly, he lifted me up and set me gently on my feet. His arm snaked around my waist and he started tugging me toward the house. Behind me, I heard the cab door close. My vision was still a little fuzzy, my heart slowly returning to its normal pace as he towed me up the sidewalk carefully.

I noticed they had put down lots of salt. Vampires didn't need salt on a sidewalk. _They probably never slip on anything_, I thought dryly. I glanced over my shoulder and noticed there was a circular patch of ice right beside the door of my truck. Edward followed my gaze and chuckled when I glared up at him: vampires don't miss spots.

"Alice told me to leave that. I'm glad she did," he murmured softly. I flushed brightly and gratefully walked inside the warm house as he held the door open for me.

Alice was standing just inside, bouncing on the balls of her feet hyperactively. I shot her a glare. Her grin only widened. As soon as the door shut, she bounded forward, placed one hand on each of my shoulders and leaned in to kiss my cheek. All my faux-anger instantly vanished, and I threw my arms around her in a hug. Her soft laughter in my ear sounded like bells.

"I knew you'd forgive me." With a squeal, she released me and bounded off, leaving me dazed beside Edward. He squeezed my waist before leading me into the living room. There, sitting on the table by one of the sofas, was a mug of steaming hot chocolate.

Mixed emotions rushed through me. First, I blushed, that he took the time to think of what I might like after coming in from the formidable cold. Second, I was embarrassed that he went through that trouble for me, and third I was wary. Was this bribery? And if so, what for?

I turned to face my vampire boyfriend, hands on my hips, ready to pout. Instead, I was swept up in his honest, earnest ocher eyes. His hands were held out before him as if he were offering something. In his cold hands, he held the mug. I knew I should be used to his rapid movements by now, but they were still disorienting at times. His eyes were void of any intention. He seemed completely innocent. Too innocent.

Warily I took the peace offering. Raising it to my lips, I took a long, deep sip, staring up at him over the ridge of the mug. As I lowered it, I licked the whipped cream off my lip. His eyes flashed down to my lips before back to mine and I felt a faint blush stain my cheeks.

"It's delicious. As usual," I sighed in resignation. A grin flew across his glorious face. He seemed genuinely thrilled that I liked it. Stupid vampire. Too damn perfect. "So what's this all about?" I tried to keep my voice causal, conversational even.

Edward's grin widened even more. "I thought we could build a snowman." I just stared at him. Surely I hadn't just heard that.

"A… a what?" I asked. His grin slipped a bit as he studied me.

"A snowman… you know… a… man made out of snow? Where one rolls the balls of decreasing size and stacks them on top of each other, then adds branches for-"

"I know what a snowman is. Why do you want to make one?" I was so confused, just staring at him. Edward Cullen, of all people, wanted to build a snowman.

"It's not really the snowman, you know," His voice was soft, low, gentle. I looked up into his eyes, and in that second, I understood precisely what he meant. It wasn't about the snowman. He wanted to build something. With me. I smiled shyly and allowed him to take my hand and lead me to the door. He held it open for me and I stepped out into the chilly air again. This time I didn't slip and fall. I made it out and threw myself into the deep snow.

This time, I did fall. The snow bank rushed up to meet me. Within seconds, there was a wall of snow on either side of my body. The next thing I realized was that I was cold. Sitting up, I brushed the snow off the top of my head and looked around. Edward was standing on the porch looking awestruck.

Emmett, of all people, was already in the snow, doing stars-knew-what, and he had popped up and laughed. Loudly. What was it with Emmett always being at the precise location when I humiliated myself? I wondered if Alice had something to do with that. I decided to inquire next time I saw the pixie-haired girl.

With a graceful chuckle, Edward was at my side, helping me to my feet. Together, hand in hand, we waded carefully through the treacherous snow to a place where the fluffy white stuff was pristine. No tracks, it was pure and flat. It was here we began our project.

Snowman-making had been more fun than originally anticipated. It hadn't taken very long to create one; with Edward's strength and my instructions for such a trite human pastime, we had a six-foot-tall snowman in no time. Edward had found branches, I had made the face. After draping a scarf around its neck, Edward had lifted me up so I could place the hat on top of the head.

It was glorious. After admiring it for a moment, I turned to Edward.

"What's his name?"

"His name?" Edward asked, confused.

"Yes. We have to name him," I explained. I stared into his eyes for a moment. Neither of us had an idea. Then a though occurred to me. I needed to move on. Put the past behind me. What better time to do it than now? It was going to be the New Year in a few short weeks.

"James," I said at last. Edward's eyes widened in surprised.

"James?" He asked, incredulous.

"James," I repeated, firmly. Edward seemed to sense my resolution in the decision.

"James," he said, this time it was a sentence, and not a question.

"James?" A voice filtered across the snow. Edward turned quickly enough to see where it came from. I did not. All I knew was that one moment, James the snow man was staring at me. The next second, James the snowman had no head. Just like that.

"I killed James!" I turned slowly to look in the direction of the voice. Emmett was running in victorious circles through the snow. I just stared. I checked Edward's face for any murderous expressions. Instead, it was surprisingly blank. Without warning, Edward started laughing. His laughter wasn't the same musical laughter that resonated when I performed in a particularly clumsy way. His laughter now was… devious.

Before Emmett even had a chance to see it coming, Edward had amassed a snowball about the side of my body and hurled it across the yard at Emmett. One second Emmett was dancing around, the next he was squished into a tree.

As Emmett un-plastered himself and began gathering snow into an equally massive snowball, I decided that it was time to detach myself from the war. I did _not_ want to get nailed with one of those snowballs. Ducking down, I scurried as quickly as I could toward the house. Just as I left Edward's side, I heard a _squish_, followed soon by a growl I recognized as Edward's. Just in time.

Like a beacon from Heaven, my hot chocolate was still sitting where I left it. I picked it up and sipped from it, letting the warm liquid thaw my body. I felt the sense of touch return to my fingertips, and my toes were no longer numb. My ears did not burn from freezing, and my nose returned to its normal color. Another minute passed.

Curious, I walked to the window and stared outside at the snowball fight raging outside. It truly was spectacular. They moved so quickly and threw the heavy snowballs with such strength… I stared fondly. There would be a time, soon, that I, too, would be able to play.

"Glorious, aren't they?"

I turned quickly to my right. I already knew who had joined me at the window by the voice, but it startled me just the same. Rosalie was staring out at the two vampires throwing ridiculously sized snowballs. Her face was tight and closed, her lips pressed together tightly. Other than the passing question, she didn't show any sign that she was aware of my presence. I took the moment to study her perfect features. I only hoped that when I became a vampire, I would be half as gorgeous as she.

Slowly, I looked back to the window, my head bobbing up and down in a nod. Emmett was hiding behind a tree. Edward was stalking around it, holding a massive snowball over his head. As Edward walked around one side, Emmett scooted to the other, constantly keeping the tree between them. I smiled faintly.

I felt Rosalie shift beside me, her arms crossing over her chest. I couldn't help but wonder why she was here. She had a reason. Rosalie made it a personal point to avoid me if inhumanly possible at all times. I decided to let her speak, rather than inquiring. I bit back a laugh as Edward chose to punch the tree instead, shaking a huge pile of snow from the branch above Emmett.

"I'm sorry, you know," She murmured quietly. I kept my eyes fixed on the boys playing outside. "It doesn't change how I feel, but I'm sorry." I glanced up at her again, and this time she was watching me out of the corner of her eye. I looked back to the window, quickly.

"I know."

"You do?" She seemed surprised.

"Well, I don't suppose that I _know_, but I… understand." Sort of. The idea was still strange, but I could understand where she was coming from. She said nothing in response, but chose not to take leave of me just yet. There was something I needed to tell her. Something I needed to ask her. Perhaps now was the time.

"Rosalie," I started, and I felt her attention turn on me although her eyes never left Emmett's form now. "What would you do… in my position?" I looked up at her, and this time she had turned partially and was staring at me. Her expression was foreign; I wasn't sure what to make of it. She was surprised at what I had asked, confused at my reasoning, and… and a little angry that I would dare ask it.

"What… do you mean?" Her voice was careful, guarded.

"What would you do? If… here you are, gorgeous Rosalie Hale, she has everything, the perfect human life. Or maybe it's a little imperfect. Out of nowhere, Emmett Cullen falls into her life." I watched her eyes narrow faintly. I'm sure she saw where I was going with this. "But Emmett Cullen is a vampire. What would you do? Would you choose that human life you want so dearly now over Emmett? Or would you choose to give up everything to have him for forever? What would you _do?_" I just stared at her pleadingly, trying to make her understand. I wasn't just throwing my human life away; I was giving it up for something much better. I wasn't giving it up to become a vampire; I was throwing it aside to have Edward for eternity. There was a significant difference. Surely she had to understand… surely she would…

Her perfect lips just pressed together tightly.

"It's not the same," she said.

"Yes it is," I insisted, watching her expression grow colder and more detached. She wasn't going to answer, I knew it.

"No, it isn't," her words were final, and with a shake of her golden head, Rosalie Hale turned and walked out of the room. I sighed, resting my forehead against the glass. It was then I noticed that I couldn't see the boys outside.

Before I could do anything, I felt a cold pair of lips at my neck and a strong pair of arms around my body. With a giggle, I turned to face Edward. His voice was soothing as usual, its soft velvet texture soothing my senses.

"Don't worry about her."

"I wanted her to understand… and not hate me," I protested.

"She understands more than you think," he purred. "But now, I want your attention. Can I be selfish and do that?" He kissed my temple affectionately.

"I… think that can be… a..arranged," I choked out. My sentences were growing incoherent. His lips had moved down to my neck, and amidst the blushing, I was losing my train of thought.

My back was pressed up against the window, Edward's hands at my waist, his lips leaving trails of kisses everywhere they went. Up my neck, along my jaw line, back down my neck. I turned even redder when his lips skimmed along my collarbone. I tried to snake my hands around his body and return the torture, but his hands grasped mine like manacles and held them away.

"Oh, no you don't, you little devious thing, you," he murmured, still kissing my neck.

"That's… not fair," I breathed out in a throaty whisper. He chuckled, causing his lips to vibrate against my skin.

"I know," he murmured. In one swift movement, he peeled me off the window. I don't know how it happened, but the next instant we were sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, his hands still trapping mine. Somehow, I had ended up flat on my back with his toned frame leaning over mine. I swallowed heavily.

He started kissing me again, and again, I tried to curl into his embrace. He wasn't having any of that, the cheater. I squirmed against him, and he finally silenced my protests with a kiss. It was deep, and lit my insides on fire. I think I blushed hotter than the fire next to us. After a few more seconds, he released me, sitting up. Dazed, I followed suit.

"So what happened to James?"

Edward pointed out the window in response. As I turned to look out the window, Edward sat up beside me. Outside, the snow had been trampled and leveled. The tree had a few broken branches. There was no sign of James the snowman.

A blanket was draped across my shoulders as Edward settled down beside me, holding my mug in his hands. He offered it to me. I took it, and took a drink. Behind him, the Christmas tree glittered brightly with all the different colored lights. I saw our reflection in the window. My skin, like Edward's, reflected the multi-hued light from the Christmas tree. I felt my heart thud slightly. There would be a time when I could stand next to him in the sun and be just as glorious – or as hideous, as he put it. I smiled at the thought, sipping quickly from the hot chocolate before Edward could question me about it. Stockings were strung up by the fireplace, and there was trampled snow outside. New snow was falling.

As beautiful and picturesque as the entire scene was, the most wonderful aspect was that Edward's arms were wrapped around me. I leaned against him, and he was careful to tuck the blanket between us. We stared into the fire, quiet radiated from us. It was a communicative silence. We both understood each other without words. I vaguely wondered if this was the level of intensity that Jasper and Alice were privy to. If so, I liked it.

I snuggled closer to him, sipping the drink. Nothing could be more perfect. His arms wrapped tighter around me, his lips pressing into the top of my head. I could feel his breath in my hair, his scent intoxicating.

The wind picked up outside as more snow continued to fall. The sun dipped behind the horizon, causing the temperature to plummet. Beside me, my stone-cold Adonis kept checking to make sure the blanket was around me. Even without the blanket, I don't believe I'd ever been so cozy in my life.

Thank the stars I was willing to leave my truck cab for Edward. For this. I wouldn't have missed this simple yet enchanting moment for the world. This moment, as ephemeral as it was, seemed to contain the essence of eternity within it. It would be like this for the rest of time. Edward and I. Just like this. For forever.

I sipped the last of my hot chocolate and set the mug aside. I turned into Edward, wrapping my arms around him. Fatigue was winning a war against me, and Edward sensed this. Holding me, he leaned back and rearranged our position.

He changed it so I lay on my side, facing the fire, wrapped up in the blanket. Edward lay behind me, his arms around me. Shortly after that, I succumbed to the clutches of Sleep, and I dreamed the most beautiful dreams for the first time in a long time. Glorious.


End file.
